St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-02-09
A HIGH TARIFF KICK.
The PrOtectionists sepr0ach Speak.
er Carlisle for Ignoring the Free
Tobacco Nsen.

er CaTElSic EOf ignoring the Free
Tobacco Nsen.
WASHINGTON, Feb S.-The following
letter was to-day sent to Speaker Carlisle:
Washington, Feb. s.-Hon. John G. Car
Isle, Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives, Dear Sir: We regret exceedingly that
tou could not see your way clear to give
recognition on yesterday to some Democrat to
enable him TO move to suspend the rules for
the purpose of giving the house an oppor-
tunity of considering the question of the
total repeal of the internal revenue tax on
tobacco. Your refusal TO give this recogni-
ton. together with your letter of the 7th
inst, deserves more than passing notice. If
two-thirds or more of the house are in favor
of such repeal, it was
GRAVE RESPONSIBILITY
for you to oppose such large majority of
the representatives Of the people. Assum-
ing, however, for the sake ef the argument,
that the friends of the opposition constitute
less number than twOthirdS, their strength is
certainly such that they ought to have been
permitted to test the sense of the house upon
the question, especially since the country is
watching with intense interest the action of
the house in respect thereto, and the conStit-
uents of large number of the members of
the house have been urging them to obtain, if
possible, a consideration of this subject.
We do not wish to be misunderstood.
We earnestly desired srom party
been given to Democrat to rnaket he motion,
but we would vote cheerfully for the PROPOSE
ton, whether made by Democrat or by
Republican. You assume in your letter to u
that we ignored your communication of the
Sd inst. and had deliberately failed to make a
response thereto. Our friends did not have
an opportunity OF considering that communi-
cation until Friday evening, the 4th inst. 1t
was of such character as to require more
than formal reply. We called at your hotel
the next day Saturday., but through no fault
of yours or ours, we did not succeed in obtain
ing an interview until the day after. We be-
lieved that the friends of the repeal of the
tobacco tax were so strong in the house that
we would save to
THE OPPRESSED TAXPYERS
Of this country an annual reduction of tax
alton to the extent of S2S. .000, 600, if the mo-
tion to repeal could be made in the house on
n onday of this week the latest day when
such a motion, to be effective u nder the rules,
would be in order during the Forty-ninth
congress. The motion, if made during the
last six days of the session, would almost GER
tainly be too late to secure favorable consid-
Grafton for the question in the senate. We
did not anticipate a refusal of recognition for
the purpose intended. We understood you to
say to US verbally that if you gave to any one
Of our friends the desired recognition, fair
,, play all round would require you to give
other Democrats an opportunity to make a
like motion to pass some distinct proposition
having relation to reduction of the tariff
duties. To this we assented. You iustanced
as one such proposition the putting of salt on
the free list. We think that u
REVISION OF THE TARIFF
and of the internal revenue laws can be at
tanned from time to time by reforming tie
obvious and greater grievances of the two
systems; and that we should not refuse to
make such reforms because sweeping changes
have been practicable. The country is eX-
pecting to obtain from this congress relief
from the grieviouS burdens OF taxation. If
some of US cannot get all we want, we should
take what we can get Our single PROPOSE
tion for the repeal of the tax on tobacco was
not intended and cannot be fairly construed
as intending to exclude from the considera-
ton of the house all other measures for the
reduction of taxation. We wished to obtain
consideration for that proposition, but we
were not pressing for the reduction OF the
internal revenue taxes to the exclusion of
other measures for the revision and reduc-
ton Of the tariff. A Democratic caucus can
not successfully deal with the whole subject
of revenue reduction at this late stage of the
session. That suggestion
CAME TOO LATE.
If the caucus could have controlled the
legislation of the Forty-ninth congress from
the beginning, the country might be better
OF. Ii the house was considered competent
to deal with the silver question, with the pen
sion question and with the oleomargerine
question, free from t he dictation of Demo-
cratic caucus, we think it ought to be compe-
tent to deal With question of a reduction of
taxation. The caucus ought not now to be
| invoked to justify policy of delay and non
| action on this subject. We sincerely hope,
with you, that some plan may yet be devised
winch will enable the house to consider the
whole subject of revenue reduction and re-
vision in spirit of fairness to all interests,
and in accordance with the letter and spirit
of the platform of the national Democratic
party adopted at the convention held at Chi
cago in the year 1884, and assure you that we
are ready to meet any of our Democratic as
sociates who are prepared to treat with US on
such basis JOHN S, HENDERSON,
GEORGE d. WISE.